Kyle made musical theater history in July by becoming the first black man to play the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on Broadway.
Not only that, he was also the youngest person to ever play the part.
A statement from the production reads: “The entire Les Miserables family is shocked and devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Kyle, a remarkable young talent and tremendous person who made magic – and history – in his Broadway debut. We send our deepest condolences to his family and ask that you respect their privacy in this unimaginably difficult time,” a statement from the production reads.
Jean-Baptiste was born in New York and after making stage history, he told Playbill: “I did not immediately think of it as making history. This was my dream since I was a little boy.”
His sister, Kelsey, paid tribute to her brother in an emotional message on Instagram.
“He shook the world with his voice and broke barriers with a smile. He was a blessing to me, you, and many people in the world,” she wrote.
The Broadway show’s official Instagram account – lesmizbway – also posted this tribute along with a collage of his behind-the-scenes snaps.
“He brought his passion and joy to this show every single day,” they wrote.
“#LesMizBway will never be the same without him. We will carry him in our hearts on the barricade every night.”
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